May 3, 2009
The Fourth Sunday of Easter

John 10:11–18
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.

   In the opening verse of our text, Jesus makes one of his most familiar statements. He says, “I am the good Shepherd; the Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” He lays down his life not just for some sheep, but for all sheep.

   We should note two things about this opening statement. In the first place, the “I” in the “I am” clause is emphatic. If we were to write it in English today, we would underscore the “I.” Moreover, we would emphasize the “I” in our speaking. Jesus is saying that he, and he alone, qualifies as the quintessential good shepherd. Secondly, the words “good shepherd” in our English translations come short of what Jesus is actually saying. To translate the Greek literally, Jesus says, “I am the shepherd, the good one.” In this way Jesus emphasizes that he is good in a way that others are not.

   Let us also note one other thing. In calling himself the good Shepherd, Jesus tells us something about who he is. Let me explain. A rich ruler one asked Jesus a question. He said, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”1 Jesus replied, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.”2 In other words Jesus was saying, “If you call me good—and there is none good but God—you are thereby saying that I am God.” By permitting the man to call him good, he was stating that he must, of necessity, be God as well.

   Now immediately after calling himself the good Shepherd, Jesus adds something shocking to his job description. He says, “The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”3 The world says, “I can’t understand why Jesus would ever need to die for people. It just seems like a terrible waste of an otherwise good life. It just seems so unnecessary. So says the world.

   For many years now I have heard people say that Christianity and especially Lutheranism needs to mellow out. When I was in Houston, one young man came to me with questions. I must admit I had some of the same questions as a “baby Christian.” He wondered why our church services had to be so stiff and formal. He felt that if we wanted more people on the membership roster, we should have services that were more contemporary and hymns that were more modern and fun to sing. In addition, he thought all of our seriousness and formality should be jettisoned in favor of something more user–friendly.

   We talked for some time. I asked him if he remembered the account of Moses receiving the Ten Commandments on Mt. Sinai. He said he did. “So do you remember,” I said, “how God was on the mountain and how there was darkness, smoke, fire, thunder, and lightning?4 Do you remember how the people trembled with fear? He nodded his head. And then I asked him, “Do you think that the people were having fun in all of this? Do you think that when they looked back on it they would remember the giving of God’s commandments with an attitude of levity or seriousness? “Seriousness,” he said.

   We then talked about sin itself. He understood that the penalty for sin was death. And unlike most people he understood that when the Bible speaks about death, it’s not just talking about the physical death that comes to us all, but about spiritual and, especially about eternal death in the outer darkness. “Is sin and death fun?” I asked. He shook his head and understood that sin meant either his death or Christ’s death.

   Then came Good Friday. “When you see Jesus on the cross,” I said, “and see him suffer and die for your sins, is that something fun or something serious? If you painted a picture of that event would you paint it in dark colors or would you depict it happy colors?” He saw my point. But he asked, “But what about Easter; surely Easter was a happy day!” “Yes,” I said, “it was a wonderful day, a day for rejoicing! But rejoicing is not the same as fun.”

   When we finished our discussion, he understood that God was to be feared, revered, and obeyed. He knew that there were times when it’s okay to lighten up, but not in Divine Service, for that is where God preaches Law and Gospel and delivers his forgiveness to his people. Without these gifts, we are toast. And so our attitude, when we receive these gifts, is one of great humility; it is also one of great joy.

   We must understand that God is not merely informing us that forgiveness is offered to us; he is not merely revealing that there is spiritual food available to us in the Word and Sacraments. He is actually transporting his forgiveness and nourishment to us in Word, water, bread, and wine. The key thought is this, that, in Divine Service, God transports and delivers the goods to our souls. He does it all objectively apart from our feelings and emotions. You may not feel any different after receiving the Lord’s Supper, but God has forgiven your sins and fed your faith nonetheless. But if you are not present in Divine Service to receive these gifts, you have missed something far more essential than breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

   We move now to the consideration of our Lord’s imagery of himself as a good Shepherd. Wolves are the natural predators of sheep. But, behold, Jesus says that when the wolf attacks, he will lay down his life for his sheep. You see, he loves his sheep so much that he is willing to die for them to keep them safe.

   But, of course, the sheep in this narrative are people. And the wolf is Satan himself. Jesus says he will protect us by dying for us. The devil thinks this is a great idea. “Yes, Jesus,” says Satan, “I commend your courage and bravery. Please proceed with your plan to die.” Satan, here, thinks that if Jesus dies, he wins the battle for your soul and mine. We think of Jesus on the cross suffering and dying for us. When he finally dies, Satan is ecstatic. He may have failed to tempt Jesus into sin, but, now, he is certain that he has won the cosmic battle for the souls of all humanity.

   But Satan did not listen carefully when Jesus said he would lay down his life for the sheep. Maybe he was distracted or inattentive. Let’s listen to his words once again. He says, “For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.”5 Did you hear it? Jesus says not only that he will lay down his life, but also that he will take it up again.” This is still another place where Jesus predicts his resurrection. Yes, Jesus will lay down his life, but he will also take it up again! Maybe Satan missed it. Let us be sure that we don’t.

   What else does the good Shepherd do? He takes his sheep to good pasture where they may safely graze on good food. The good Shepherd will feed his people’s faith with the truths of God’s holy Word.

   The good pastor shall also do the same. He will not feed his people with the poison of false doctrine. The hirelings in our text are false prophets who feed their people with lies. Who and where are they? They fill pulpits, make documentaries, write books, sing popular music, and make movies. Consider a few examples.

• A former LCMS member, now an international radio and television preacher, said, “All I was ever taught to say was ‘I, a poor, miserable sinner. I am not poor, I am not miserable and I am not a sinner. That is a lie from the pit of hell. That is what I were [sic], and if I still was [sic] then Jesus died in vain.’”6
• Singer/Songwriter/Entertainer Billy Joel said, “I wasn't raised Catholic, but I used to go to mass with my friends, and I viewed the whole business as a lot of very enthralling hocus pocus. There's a guy ... nailed to a cross and dripping blood, and everyone's blaming themselves for that man's torment, but I said to myself, ‘Forget it. I had no hand in that evil. I have no original sin. There's no blood of any sacred martyr on my hands. I pass on all of this.’”7
• Katherine Ragsdale, the new president of Episcopal Divinity School recently said in a speech, “These are the two things I want you, please, to remember – abortion is a blessing and our work is not done.” Moreover, she calls abortionists and those who assist them “saints” engaging in “holy work.” She also said, “When a woman becomes pregnant [and] decides she does not wish to bear a child; and has access to a safe, affordable abortion – there is not a tragedy in sight — only blessing.

• Comedian and religious critic Bill Maher uses the medium of television to promote his anti–God, anti–Christian agenda.
• Actress and New Age author, Shirley MacLaine says: “When I pray, I pray to myself.”

   The good Pastor will rebuke these horrible teachings and feed God’s people with God’s truth and only God’s truth. He will speak of Christ and him crucified as the world only Savior. He will speak clearly and say that we are saved by grace alone through faith alone in the merits of Christ alone. He will speak of the radical servanthood of Christ. He will say,

• Jesus had no servants, yet they called him Master.
• Had no degree, yet they called him Teacher.
• Had no medicines, yet they called him Healer.
• He had no army, yet kings feared him.
• He won no military battles, yet he conquered the world.
• He committed no crime, yet they crucified him.
• He was buried in a tomb, yet he lives today.

   Jesus said, “I am the Good Shepherd; the Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” May we feed only on solid biblical food and gather around his altar to receive his forgiveness. May God preserve us all in the one, true faith as taught to us by the Good Shepherd and passed on to us by faithful pastors of his flock.

   In the name of Jesus,
   Amen.

 

 

 

Soli Deo Gloria!

 

 

 

 

 

Endnotes

 

1        See Luke 18:18.

2        See Mark 18:19.

3        See John 10:11, ESV.

4        See Exodus 19:16-18.

5        See John 10:17-18.

6        Joyce Meyer has become quite heterodox with her theology. See http://www.symphonyofscripture.com/?p=279.

7        See http://www.celebatheists.com/?title=Billy_Joel.

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